Hosiery-type garments and method of making

ABSTRACT

A fashionable machine-knitted garment of a hosiery-type material for the upper body having at least arm portions, shoulder portions, an upper chest portion, an upper back portion, is seamless in at least the shoulder portions, if not also in the arms and/or an upper bodice including the upper chest and upper back portions. The garment is constructed in a manner to provide an inconspicuous appearance when worn while providing comfortable support to at least the arms of the user and also the shoulders and the upper bodice. As such, the garment is well suited to be worn under sleeveless clothing or even strapless clothing, to provide the appearance or perception of smooth, blemish-free and taut skin in the exposed areas of the upper body. Methods of making the garment include circular, warp and/or flat knitting forming a single open-ended tube, separate open-ended tubes having portions that are joined, a branched open-ended tube and a flat pattern configured to be folded in half and joined along selected edges.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/507,162, filed Sep. 29, 2003.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to knitwear or hosiery, in particular,machine-made knitwear or hosiery garments that are nearly or completelyseamless.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Stockings and hosiery have long been used to improved the appearance ofwomen's lower body, especially the legs and feet. Depending on thecolor, shade and sheerness of the hosiery material, the appearance ofthe skin and muscle tone of these body parts can be significantlyimproved in terms of smoothing out blemishes or discoloration andproviding a tautness that may otherwise be lacking in the skin orunderlying muscle. Indeed, with modern “super sheer” hosiery, usingrelatively fine weights or denier thread, such hosiery when donned canhave a nearly invisible appearance except upon close inspection.Typically in producing sheer hosiery, the lower the denier of the yarn,the lesser the opacity of the hosiery.

A major advancement in knitting, particularly in rendering conventionalstockings and hosiery more comfortable and less conspicuous, was andcontinues to be the use of circular knitting machines. Although thesemachines, which were developed in the mid-19th century, were a greatimprovement over flat knitting machines, which were limited to producingflat fabric as opposed to knitted tubes, it was the introduction ofnylon in the 1940's which revolutionized the hosiery industry. Nylon, aman-made polyamide yarn with origins in the petro chemical industry,provided thermoplastic properties that enabled knitted tubes to be heattreated and permanently formed and shaped. Moreover, it was discoveredthat nylon and other similar synthetic yarn can be “crimped” to formstretch yarn which enable the hosiery to form fit the various contoursof the body. Nylon and many synthetic yarns have a natural luster butthey can be delustered as desired or needed to produce a dullerappearance.

However, even with the advent of seamless stockings or hosiery(“seamless” being used more as a term of art than in the literal sensesince these stockings and hosiery are not always entirely withoutseams), some women still prefer the full-fashioned variation which areknitted flat, then fashioned or shaped, and hand or machine seamed.Accordingly, flat knitting machines are still in use and methods torender the sewn seam less visible have been developed, using differentstitching methods and/or new and improved threads.

In addition to the aforementioned weft knitting techniques whichgenerally use one continuous yarn to form rows of loops across a flatsheet or tube, warp knitting which was developed some 200 years ago usesparallel feeds of yarn that are generally knitted simultaneously intoparallel rows of loops that are interlocked in a zig zag pattern.Therefore, instead of the yarn running horizontally from side to side inthe case of flat knitting, or around and around in the case of circularknitting, the yarns form vertical loop in one row and then movediagonally to the next row in forming the next row. Each stitch in a row(also called a course) is made by a different yarn.

Because warp knitting machines tend to work better with yarn of uniformthickness and strength, synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyesterwork well with warp knitting machines. Warp knit fabric can be producedon tricot, raschel and weft-insertion machines. There are also simplexand milanese machines, although these are now more or less outdated.

Jacquard knitting is also known and can be of a weft-type or awarp-type. In either case, a Jacquard type attachment is used to provideversatility in designs and patterns.

It is also known that conventional hosiery and stocking use a variety ofyarns of natural or man-made constituents, such as silk or nylon.Elastane fibers are popular, including Lycra® which can stretch up tofive times its original length and recover completely. By controllingthe tension of Lycra in the knitting, the strength of its elasticity canbe selected. It is also possible to mix Lycra and nylon, and/or applythe yarn as a “core yarn” covered with a single outer wrapping, ormultiple inner and outer wrappings. Covering increases the thickness ofthe yarn and consequently its handling characteristics. Otherconventional hosiery yarns include Dorlastan and Lastex and a variationof combinations of these yarns with the aforementioned yarns may beused, for example, 82-90% Polyamid-Micro with 18-10% Elastan, or 90%Polyamide with 10% Dorlastan.

As fashion trends move toward greater exposure of the body, there is aneed for a machine-knitted garment to provide the same benefits andadvantages to the upper body that have been so long afforded to thelower body. Sleeveless garments or strapless garments that expose thearms, if not also the upper chest and upper back, can leave one feelingless than comfortable or confident about her body, especially when theseexposed regions lack muscle tone. For women who have blemishes ordiscoloration, or anyone who desires more tautness in these areas, it isdifficult to resolve these concerns while remaining fashionable. Forthese women, it is desirable to have a means by which they can wearsleeveless or strapless garments with confidence and comfort and thatthey be able to provide the perception of smooth and flawless skin inthe arms and upper body regions.

Thus, unlike women's ice-skating suits or the more fashionable sheertops that have become popular in recent years, an inconspicuous hosierygarment for supporting the arms, and any other exposed areas such as theshoulders, upper chest and upper back is needed. The garment shouldideally be seamless at least in the shoulder area, if not also in thearms in their entirety, and the upper chest and back areas. Moreover,the garment should primarily be an undergarment worn under sleeveless orstrapless clothing, to provide an appearance or perception of a smoothand taut upper body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a fashionable hosiery-typemachine-knitted garment for the upper body having at least arm portions,shoulder portions, an upper chest portion, an upper back portion,wherein at least the shoulder portions are seamless, if not the garmentin its entirety. The garment is constructed in a manner to provide aninconspicuous appearance when worn while providing comfortable supportto at least the arms of the user and also the shoulders and upperbodice, such as the upper chest and upper back. As such, the garment iswell suited to be worn under sleeveless clothing or even straplessclothing, to provide the appearance or perception of smooth,blemish-free and taut skin in the exposed areas of the upper body.

In one embodiment, the garment in its entirely is free from any seamsand can be made using a circular knitting machine or a warp knittingmachine that produces a tube with a changing diameter along its lengthor a tube having a branched configuration.

In a second embodiment, the garment has a generally vertical seam downthe chest and back leaving the shoulder and the arm regions entirelyfree from any seams. The garment of this embodiment can be produced by acircular knitting machine or a warp knitting machine that produces twocomparable tubes which are joined along a portion of their longitudinalaxis.

In a third embodiment, the garment has a single seam extending laterallyacross the chest and the back, which also leaves the shoulder and thearm regions entirely free from seams. The garment of this embodiment canbe manufactured using a circular knitting machine or a warp knittingmachine that produces a tube with a greater diameter and a tube with alesser diameter, where the tubes are joined 90 degrees offset from eachother to form the garment.

In a fourth embodiment embodiment, the garment has a seam extendingalong and under each arm and the respective side of the torso, which canbe formed from a flat-knitted generally “cross-shaped” fabric that isfolded in half and joined along selected edges.

In all embodiments of the invention, the garment is advantageously freefrom any seams in at least the shoulder and outer arm regions, thesebeing possibly the exposed and visible areas of the upper body that mostreadily lose their youthful appearance and muscle tone.

The present invention is also directed to methods for making a garmentusing circular knitting, flat knitting and/or warp knitting machines. Acompletely seamless garment may be constructed using circular or warpknitting of a single tube, which can begin with a knitting of a tube fora sleeve, an expansion of the tube using a looser knit to form a bodiceportion, and a return to the tighter knit to form an opposing sleeve.Incisions are made in opposing areas of the bodice portion to form theneck and waist openings and then the entire garment is formed, shapedand heat treated into a conforming configuration for the upper body.

Another method to produce a garment which also uses circular or warpknitting can begin with knitting a larger tube for a bodice and thenbranching into the tube into two smaller tubes for a pair of sleeves.The circular or warp knitting can also begin with a knitting of the twotubes for the pair of sleeves and then merging the two tubes into onetube for the bodice. A neck opening is made along a junction between thetwo smaller tubes.

Yet another method to produce a garment using a circular or warpknitting machine includes knitting two similar but separate tubes, eachof which has a length suitable for forming a sleeve and a verticalportion of a bodice, aligning the tubes longitudinally, cutting eachtube along its length from a selected location between open ends of thetubes to one open end to form two open edges and attaching a portion ofthe open edge of one tube to a similar portion of the opposing open edgeof the other tube. Joined portions of the tubes form the bodice, cut butunjoined portions of the tubes form the neck opening, and unjoined anduncut portions of the tubes form the sleeves.

An alternative method to produce a garment using a circular and/or warpknitting machine includes forming two separate tubes: a first tube of asmaller diameter suitable for an arm and having a length that spans thelength of both arms and the shoulder and chest areas spanning inbetween, and a second larger tube dimensioned for the torso. Twoopposing incisions are made in the smaller arm tube to create a neckopening and a chest opening. The chest opening is then stitched to, orotherwise joined with an open end of the second tube generally centeredwith and generally 90 degrees offset from the first tube. The garmentproduced by this method remains entirely seam free in the shoulder andarm areas, having only a seam that extends laterally around the chestand back in circumferential relationship therewith.

The garment may also be manufactured using flat knitting machines. Thismethod includes flat knitting a piece of fabric that is laid flat andcut into a generally cross-shaped configuration or otherwise formed intoa pattern having opposing sleeve portions and opposing bodice portionsgenerally perpendicular to the sleeve portions. The pattern is folded inhalf and stitched along four edges to form two seams, each of whichextends under each arm and the adjacent side of the torso. An incisionis made in the center of the pattern either before or after folding toform the neck opening. A garment produced by this method remainsseamless in the shoulder, the upper chest and upper back regions. Outerarm regions are also advantageously free from any seams.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a back review of the embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment of present invention of FIG. 1used with a sleeveless garment;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of the present of FIG. 1 usedwith a strapless garment;

FIGS. 5 and 5A are front views of an embodiment of the present inventionmanufactured with a circular knitting method;

FIGS. 6 and 6A are front views of another embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with a circular knitting method;

FIGS. 7 and 7A are front views of another embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with a circular knitting method employing achanging angle of knitting;

FIGS. 8 and 8A are front view of another embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with circular or warp knitting method using twosimilar tubular structures;

FIGS. 9, 9A and 9B are front views of another embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with circular or warp knitting method using abranched tubular construction;

FIGS. 10 and 10A are front view of another embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with circular or warp knitting method also usinga branched tubular construction but with a different Jacquardattachment;

FIGS. 11 and 11A are front views of an embodiment of the presentinvention manufactured with a flat knitting method;

FIGS. 12 and 12A are front views of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 13, 13A and 13B are front view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 14 is a front view of an additional embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a hosiery garment 10of the present invention includes a bodice portion 12 (hereinafter“portion,” “region” and “section” used interchangeably) having a frontregion 14 and a back region 16, and two arm portions 18 and 20. Thebodice portion 12 and the arm portions 18 and 20 span continuously intoeach other through shoulder regions 22, an upper chest region 24 and anupper back region 26 (the upper chest and the upper back regions beinggenerally referred to herein as the upper bodice). The hosiery garmentin this embodiment therefore covers and supports at least a user's arms30 from her shoulders 32 to her wrists 34, if not also her torso 35 frombelow her neck 36 down to hips 38. Other configurations may be providedas needed or desirable, for example, a midriff variation where thegarment ends above the waist at end 17, and/or a high-neck version wherethe garment ends at end 19 covering the collar bone or neck of thewearer (see FIG. 14), although at least the shoulder regions 22, andalso the upper chest region and the upper back region, remain seamlessin accordance with the present invention. In particular, as illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2, the shoulder regions 22 of the garment 10 are freefrom any seams that might interfere with the garment's inconspicuousnature. As such, the shoulder regions 22 of the garment provide agenerally completely smooth surface and profile that resembleblemish-free, smooth and well-toned skin. Moreover, the entirelyseamless arm regions 18 and 20 extending from the shoulders 22 down tothe wrists 34 of the wearer provide the same smooth surface and profilefor the arms. Such seamless shoulder and arm regions 18, 20 and 22facilitate the use of the garment 10 as an undergarment or accessory toclothing that are sleeveless or even strapless 42 and 44, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

Covered by the garment 10, skin that would otherwise be completelyexposed appears smooth and flawless and any loss of elasticity in theskin is compensated by the elastic but sheer and inconspicuouscompression provided by the garment. The garment of the presentinvention is sheer, fashionable and inconspicuous. The hosiery garment10, which may be of a flesh tone, is without shoulder seams and isgenerally intended to be worn under clothing.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 5A, an embodiment of the garment may bemanufactured using circular or warp knitting which produces knittedtubes. The garment 10 of FIGS. 5 and 5A uses a single circular knittedtube 50 having an expansive middle section 52. In particular, theknitting of the tube 50 forming the garment proceeds in a direction x,beginning with a sleeve section 54 for the arm 18, continuing to theexpansive section 52 for the torso 35, and ending at an opposing sleevesection 56. The sleeve section 54 is circularly knitted at a selectedgauge, that is, with a selected number of stitches per inch. As theknitted tube of the section 54 reaches a length or dimension sufficientfor the length of the arm 18, the knitting gauge is decreased to a muchlooser knit (whereby, e.g., the loops knitted increase in size) forknitting the expansive section 52 for the torso 35. As the knitted tubeof the expansive section 52 reaches a length sufficient for the width ofthe torso 35, the circular knitting gauge may then again be increased toa much tighter knit (whereby the loops knitted decrease in size) so asto form the opposing sleeve section 56.

Thereafter, incisions are made to form slits 62 and 64 as a head opening(or neck opening, used interchangeably herein) and a chest or waistopening, respectively. Where a polyamide or polyamide blend yarn isused, the hosiery garment of FIG. 5 can then be formed and heated, asunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to substantially achievethe configuration shown in FIG. 5A. It may also be preferable to knitthe expansive section 52 in two different lower gauges along a boundary67 which may be generally linear or nonlinear between an upper section66 and a lower section 68. Since the upper side 66 of the expansivesection 52 needs only to accommodate the shoulders 32, a certain lessergauge (or loose knit) may be used. But since the lower side 68 needs toaccommodate the chest or the torso, an even lesser gauge (or even looserknit) may be used.

Another method of manufacture using circular or warp-knitting isdescribed in reference to FIGS. 6 and 6A. As shown, two knitted tubes 70and 72 are formed. The tube 70 is configured to be suitable for formingsleeve sections 74 and 76 and an upper bodice portion 75, which includesan upper chest and upper back sections 78 and 80, of the garment 10. Thetube 72 is configured to be suitable for forming bodice section 82. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the tube 70 is of a much smaller diametercompared to the tube 72 with a larger diameter and the tube 72 ispositioned generally centrally and generally perpendicularly to the tube70. Incisions are made in opposing locations of the tube 70 to form neckopening 84 and chest opening 86, the latter opening 86 generallyconforming in size and/or shape to the size and/or shape of the tube 72.Thereafter, the tubes 70 and 72 are joined, e.g., by stitching, toconnect the chest opening 86 of the tube 70 to an open end 88 of thetube 72. Thus, the garment of FIG. 6A provides a generally horizontalcircumferential seam 90 across the chest and back, but in accordancewith the present invention remains seamless in the arm portions 18 and20, the shoulder portions 22 and in the upper chest and upper backportions 24 and 26. The seam 90 will not interfere with the use of thegarment under sleeveless clothing. Moreover, the seam will generally notinterfere with the use of the garment under most strapless clothing.

In another application of circular knitting, a seamless garment 120 isshown in FIGS. 7 and 7A having a branched tubular construction. Inparticular, two tubes 122 and 123 forming sleeves 125 of the garment aremerged seamlessly with a tube 124 forming a shorter bodice 127 of thegarment. Knitting can start at an open end 126 of the tube 122 until alocation B along a neckline 123 is reached. A direction of knitting X bya suitable circular warp-knitting machine, for example, an electroniccircular knitting machine manufactured by Santoni S.p.A of Brescia,Italy, is then effectively rotated by a predetermined degree to adirection Y for knitting the tube 124. When location C is reached, thedirection of knitting Y is then effectively rotated by a predetermineddegree to a direction Z for knitting the tube 123. Knitting thencontinues until a comparable length in the tube 123 is reached inrelation to the tube 122 and an open end 125 is formed in the tube 123.Accordingly, merge lines 129 on a front 131 and a back 133 of thegarment 120 denote the changes in the direction of knitting occurringbetween the sleeve tubes 122 and 123 and the bodice tube 124. The changein the angle of knitting can be about 120-60 degrees and preferablyabout 90 degrees. In particular, the change in direction of stitchingcan be varied such that the rate of change varies and/or the merge lines129 are curved. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 7A, themerge lines are generally concave. However, the merge lines may also begenerally convex. In any case, such nonlinear merge lines mayaccommodate a greater or lesser neck opening 128 or chest opening 130and/or a tighter or looser fit around the chest, back and upper torso,as desired.

A neck opening 128 is formed by slitting or cutting the tubes 122, 123and/or 124 between locations A and D following the neckline 123 throughlocations B and C. The chest opening 130 is formed by slitting orcutting the tube 124 between locations E and F. That is, the openings128 and 130 can be form from a slit along a line (linear or nonlinear),or from a trim that removes a section of the tubes 122, 123 and/or 124.The chest opening 130 may be hemmed or otherwise treated with afinishing stitch. Or, a support band or tube 132 of a different knit,e.g., tighter, denser and/or heavier knit, may be sewn or otherwiseattached to the chest opening 130 to better secure the garment to thebody and minimize the garment riding up on the chest of the user. It isunderstood that the band 132 may have a greater vertical dimension 141(as shown in broken lines in FIG. 7A) such that the garment reaches thewaist or hips of the user.

FIGS. 8 and 8A illustrate another embodiment of the present inventionsuitable for manufacturing by circular knitting machine, such as theaforementioned electronic circular knitting machine by Santoni S.p.A. Agarment 140 is formed from two tubes 142 and 143 of comparabledimensions, each of which has been cut to form longitudinal edges 144spanning along the length of the tubes from a location G to an open end146. The cut edges 144 of tubes 142 and 143 are joined, for example, bystitching, between a location H and the open end 146 to form generallyvertical seams 148 along a front 150 and a back 152 of the garment. Aneck opening 148 is therefore defined by the cut edges 144 that remainunattached between locations G and H. A bodice opening 150 is jointlydefined by the open ends 146 of the tubes 142 and 143. As such, a bodice154 of the garment 140 is formed from a joined bottom portion of thetubes 142 and 143, whereas sleeves 156 of the garment 140 are eachformed from a top unjoined portion of the tubes 142 and 143. In thatregard, the garment can also be formed by joining the tubes 142 and 143at their cut edges 144 between locations G and the open end 146, andthen slitting or cutting out the neck opening 148.

A band 150 may be included in the garment 140, which can be formed fromeither a section of different circular knit continuously knitted fromthe tubes at the open ends 146, or a separately-formed tubular or flatfabric, circularly or flat knitted, that is joined to the garment afterthe forming of the bodice opening 150.

Another embodiment of the present invention suitable for manufacturingby a tricot or raschel warp-knitting machine, with or without a Jacquardattachment, is shown in FIGS. 9, 9A and 9B. A garment 160 with sleeves162 and a bodice 164 is configured from a branched tubular constructionfollowing a knitting direction parallel to direction K or a longitudinalaxis of the garment. The knitting may start at open ends 168 of sleevetubes 170 and continue until a length suitable for the sleeves is reach,at which stage the two sleeve tubes merge into a bodice tube 172. Ajunction 173 defines a location between the bodice tube 172 and the twosleeve tube sections 170. Knitting then continues until a lengthsuitable for the bodice 164 is reached and the bodice tube 172 ends atan open end 174.

Alternatively, knitting may start at the open end 174 and continue untilthe bodice tube 172 has been formed, at which stage the bodice tube isbranched into the two sleeve tubes 170. Knitting is completed when thelength suitable for the sleeves 162 has been reached.

A neck opening 176 is then formed at or near the junction 173 from aslit in or a cutting away of a portion of the tubes 170 and/or 172 fromlocations K to M. A suitable machine for knitting the garment 140 is atricot or raschel machine by Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH ofObertshausen, Germany, Model RDPJ 6/2 using the following yarns: DTEX47, 7 70% polyammide and 30% elastan and/or DTEX 44 F30 100% nylon.Clearly, finer yarns may be used as desired or appropriate. If aJacquard attachment is used, decorative knits can be achieved, forexample, a generally repetitive “stars” and/or “spider-net” weave asshown in FIGS. 9, 9A and 9B, or a “brassiere weave” with front and backpatterns as shown in FIGS. 10, 10A, 10B and 10C.

A garment of yet another embodiment of the present invention may also bemanufactured using flat or rectilinear knitting. Referring to FIGS. 11and 11A, a piece of flat knitted hosiery fabric 92 is cut or otherwiseformed into the pattern shown, with the sleeve portions 18 and 20 thatoppose each other and the front portion 14 and the back portion 16 thatoppose each other and are about 90 degrees offset from the sleeveportions. These sleeves and/or bodice portions need not be square orrectangular but may be tapered as desired or appropriate. The fabricpattern 92 is folded on line 94 such that edge 96S meets edge 98S and96B meets edge 98B. Similarly, edge 100B meets edge 102B and edge 100Smeets edge 102S. These meeting edges then are stitched, sewn orotherwise joined to form the garment of FIG. 7A, having a seam 104extending under the arm portion 20 and down an adjacent side of thebodice portion 12. Likewise, a seam 106 extends under the arm portion 18and down an adjacent side of the bodice portion 12. An incision is madein the fabric pattern 92, either before or after the folding at line 94,to form a head opening 108. Accordingly, the garment in this embodimenthas the seams 104 and 106 extending along the underside of the arms 30and down the sides of the torso 35, but the shoulder portions 22 andouter or exterior arm regions 18E and 20E (see also FIGS. 1 and 2)remain free of seams that would otherwise interrupt the appearance ofsmooth and taut skin provided by the hosiery garment.

Beginning or ending edges of any of the tubes used to form the hosierygarment may be left raw, or unfinished. Cut edges such as for those madefor head, neck, chest or waist/torso openings, however, depending on thedirection of the incision relative to the knitting direction, may beleft raw or unfinished, as well. That is, whereas a ladder run may beformed when conventional hosiery is snagged or ripped, raw or unfinishededges of selected machine-knitted fabrics do not run but may have atendency to curl. Accordingly, conventional finishing or hemming may beapplied for those cut edges that run, or for any tube edges, as desired.It is understood that the foregoing embodiments may be varied byknitting the underlying tubes with different dimensions, includingdiameter and length.

As discussed above, a variety of elastic natural or man-made yarns maybe used to construct the hosiery garment. The hosiery garment is knittedin a gauge and/or with a denier yarn that enables the garment to becomfortably form fitting much like conventional hosiery is for the lowerbody. As such, air gaps or pockets between the garment and the skin aregenerally not desirable, nor is wrinkling or scrunching around thejoints of the arm or the shoulders. The tension or gauge of the yarnshould be such that the hosiery garment is comfortable, but stretchesreadily to cling snugly and conforms to at least the arms and body, ifnot all exposed areas and surfaces. The texture of the knitted fabricmay be smooth and soft. All of the aesthetic and functional (includingcirculatory) benefits provided by conventional hosiery for the legs orlower body are available in the present invention.

Neck openings and/or chest or waist openings need not be symmetrical inrelation to the front and back of the garment. Indeed, as with mostgarments, a neck opening may be wider and/or lower in the front than inthe back. Likewise, a chest and waist opening may be lower in the frontthan in the back. Ends of sleeves at the wrists may also be adapted witha finger loop to tether the ends to a finger. Any of the aforementionedembodiments may also be configured as a body suit or leotard-typegarment.

As for color, shimmer, shade and/or sheerness, conventional hosieryyarns offer a whole host of choices depending on the modesty orperceived exposure desire and/or the color and tone of the user's skin.Of course, where the hosiery garment is intended to be inconspicuous,the more closely the color and/or shade match the user's skin, the lessconspicuous the hosiery garment will be. Having said that however, it iscontemplated that the hosiery garment may be decorated so as to resembledecorated skin on the user, as illustrated. Tattoos, body paints, bodyglitter or even body piercing are popular fashion trends. As such, thehosiery garment may be similarly decorated either before or afterdonning so as to provide the appearance or perception of decorated skinor flesh. The present invention, however, also contemplates a nearly orcompletely seamless garment in colors other than flesh tones. The term“seam” as used herein generally denotes the joining of two separateedges by stitching, which is distinct from a hem line or a merge line.

It is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. To thatend, it is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that theillustrations are not necessarily to scale and that the dimensions ofthe tubes described hereinabove may be altered to suit the desires andneeds of the user. Many other modifications and variations will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and it is therefore, tobe understood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

1. A machine-knitted garment for the upper body having at least a chestportion, an upper back portion and sleeves, comprising a seamlesstubular construction made of hosiery-type material, having a beginningtubular portion forming one sleeve, an ending tubular portion forminganother sleeve, and a middle tubular portion which has a neck openingand a chest or bodice opening.
 2. A machine-knitted garment of claim 1,wherein the beginning and the ending tubular portions have a tighterknit than the middle tubular portion.
 3. A machine-knitted garment ofclaim 1, wherein the garment is generally sheer.
 4. A garment of claim1, wherein the garment is generally of a skin-tone color.
 5. Amachine-knitted garment of claim 1, wherein the openings are made fromincisions made in the middle tubular portion.
 6. A machine-knittedgarment of claim 1, wherein the beginning and ending tubular portionshave a smaller diameter than the middle tubular portion.
 7. Amachine-knitted garment of claim 1, wherein the garment has a directionof circular knitting spanning its length from the beginning tubularportion to the ending tubular portion.
 8. A method of making amachine-knitted garment, comprising: knitting a beginning tube having alesser diameter; continue knitting from an end of the beginning tube amiddle tube having a greater diameter; continue knitting from an end ofthe middle tube an ending tube with the lesser diameter; forming a firstopening the middle tube to form a neck opening; and forming a secondopening in the middle tube generally opposing the neck opening to form achest or bodice opening.
 9. A method of claim 8, wherein the middle tubeis configured to form a bodice of the garment and the beginning and theending tubes are configured to form sleeves of the garment.
 10. A methodof claim 9, wherein the beginning tube and the ending tube have atighter knit than the middle tube.
 11. A machine-knitted garment for theupper body having an upper bodice, a lower bodice and sleeves,comprising: a first tubular portion configured to form the upper bodiceand the sleeves of the garment; a second tubular portion whose one endis position at a generally central location of the first tubularportion, the second tubular portion extending generally perpendicularlyfrom the first tubular portion in forming the lower bodice of thegarment; a seam joining the first and second tubular portion, the seamextending circumferentially around the upper bodice; and wherein thefirst and second tubular portions are made from a hosiery-type material.12. A machine-knitted garment of claim 11, wherein the first tubularportion has a lesser diameter and the second tubular portion has agreater diameter.
 13. A machine-knitted garment of claim 11, wherein aseam between the first and second tubular portions generally extendslaterally in a circumferential relationship with a user's chest.
 14. Amachine-knitted garment of claim 11 wherein a neck opening is formed inthe first tubular portion and a chest opening is formed in first tubularportion opposing the neck opening.
 15. A machine-knitted garment ofclaim 14, wherein the chest opening of the first tubular portion has adiameter generally equal to a diameter of the second tubular portion.16. A machine-knitted method of making a garment having an upper bodice,a lower bodice and sleeves, comprising: knitting a first tubular portionconfigured to form the upper bodice and the sleeves of the garment;knitting a second tubular portion configured to form the lower bodice;forming a neck opening and a chest opening in the first tubular portion;and joining an open end of the second tubular portion to the chestopening of the first tubular portion such that the second tubularportion extends generally centrally and perpendicularly from the firsttubular portion.
 17. A method of making of claim 16, wherein the firstand second tubular portions are knitted from hosiery-type material usingcircular or warp knitting.
 18. A machine-knitted garment for the upperbody having at least an upper bodice and sleeves, comprising: acontinuous circular knit tubular construction of hosiery-type material,having a beginning tubular sleeve portion extending in a firstdirection, a middle tubular upper bodice portion extending in a seconddirection angularly offset from the one direction and an ending tubularsleeve portion extending generally parallel with the first direction,wherein adjacent portions are joined seamlessly along merge linesdefined by a predetermined change of knitting angle ranging betweenabout 60 to 120 degrees.
 19. A machine-knitted garment of claim 18,wherein the merge lines are nonlinear.
 20. A machine-knitted garment ofclaim 18, wherein the merge lines are concave.
 21. A machine-knittedgarment of claim 18, wherein the angle of change has a rate of change.22. A machine-knitted garment having a bodice and sleeves comprising: afirst tube and a second tube of generally similar circular knit or warpknit construction of hosiery-type material that are arranged in agenerally parallel configuration and joined along a portion of theirlongitudinal axis, wherein joined portions of the tubes form the bodiceof the garment, unjoined portions of the tubes define the sleeves andthe joined portions define a first generally vertical seam on a frontportion of the bodice and a second generally vertical seam on a backportion of the bodice.
 23. A machine-knitted garment of claim 22,wherein each first and second tubes has a band at an open end to form abottom band of the garment.
 24. A machine-knitted garment of claim 22,wherein a neck opening is defined between the joined and unjoinedportions of the first and second tubes.
 25. A method of making amachine-knitted garment having a bodice and sleeves, comprising:knitting a first tube and a second tube of generally similar dimensionsusing hosiery-type material; and joining the tubes along a portion oftheir longitudinal axis to provide a first generally vertical seam on afront portion of the garment and a second generally vertical seam on aback portion of the garment, wherein joined portions of the tubes formthe bodice of the garment and unjoined portions of the tubes define thesleeves.
 26. A machine-knitted garment having a bodice and two sleeves,comprising: a bodice tube section defining a longitudinal axis of thegarment and two sleeve tube sections branching from the bodice tubesection along the longitudinal axis, thereby defining a junction betweenthe bodice tube section and the sleeve tube sections, each of the sleevetube sections having a lesser diameter and the bodice tube sectionhaving a greater diameter; a neck opening formed at or near thejunction; and wherein the garment has a circular knit or warp knitconstruction of hosiery-type material.
 27. A method of making amachine-knitted garment having a bodice and two sleeves, comprising:knitting a bodice tube along a longitudinal axis of the garment; afterreaching a predetermined length in the bodice tube branching the bodicetube into two sleeve tube; forming a neck opening in a region of thebodice tube and between the two sleeve tubes; and wherein the bodicetube and the sleeve tubes are knitted from hosiery-type material.
 28. Amachine-knitted garment comprising: a unitary piece of hosiery-typematerial having two opposing bodice portions and two opposing sleeveportions adapted to be folded in half to form a bodice and two sleevesextending generally perpendicularly from the bodice; a first seamjoining edges of one sleeve portion, extending from a first end of afirst sleeve of the garment to a bottom edge of the bodice of thegarment; a second seam generally opposing the first seam joining edgesof another sleeve portion, extending from a second end of a secondsleeve of the garment to the bottom edge of the bodice of the garment;and a neck opening formed along a folded edge of the bodice.
 29. Amethod of making a machine-knitted garment comprising: knitting aunitary piece of hosiery-type material having two opposing bodiceportions and two opposing sleeve portions; folding in half the unitarypiece to form a bodice and two sleeves extending generallyperpendicularly from the bodice; joining edges of one sleeve portion toform a first seam extending from a first end of a first sleeve of thegarment to a bottom edge of the bodice of the garment; joining edges ofanother sleeve portion to form a second seam generally opposing thefirst seam, extending from a second end of a second sleeve of thegarment to the bottom edge of the bodice of the garment; and forming aneck opening formed along a folded edge of the bodice.